This invention relates to an asynchronous modem for switched network telepone connection, and more particularly to an automatic line balancing arrangement which compensates for variations in telephone company line impedance. Communciations interface devices, sometimes known as "modems" are commercially available as stand-alone units which may be connected between a personal computer and the telephone lines, in order to receive data from a distant "host" computer. Although the telephone line impedance is theoretically 600 ohms, so that ideally the modem connected to the telephone line would present an output impedance of 600 ohms for maximum power transfer, the impedance of the telephone company line varies in actual practice. Some modems provide a manual adjustment in order to balance the modem output impedance and the line input impedance. However, it would be desirable to accomplish the line balancing automatically.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,186,006--Buckingham shows a method for balancing a duplex circuit by making manual adjustments to an artificial line concurrently with making observations on a cathode ray tube, so as to reduce the magnitude of unbalance between the circuit and the artificial line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,498--Justice describes an automatic balancing duplexer for communication lines, in which the transmitted signal at the output of the duplexer is used to modulate the transmitted signal which is then injected into a feedback loop of the duplexer, to permit the telephone line to be terminated in a constant impedance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,362 describes an automatic cable balancing network for a hybrid circuit between a bidirectional telephone cable and two unidirectional cables, wherein an adjustable impedance balance network has a plurality of controllable impedance elements which are adjusted to cause a driving point impedance to match the complex impedance of the transmission path.
The variety of local conditions and variations in the switched telephone network presented to stand-alone modems adapted to be connected to a variety of personal computers makes it desirable to provide an automatic line balancing circuit, which automatically balances impedances each time the telephone/computer interface is established.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved telephone communications interface with an automatic line impedance balancing circuit.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved modem for connecting a computer to a nondedicated telephone line and which automatically compensates for variations in line impedance.